This baked Kishik and walnut spiral offers more than just nourishment, it’s the ultimate comfort food, wow your guests and impress your loved ones with a homemade flaky dough and a sublime filling of kishik and walnuts. The spiral is absolutely delicious and pretty as a picture.

Crispy Spiral Kishik and Walnut Borek Video:

Crispy Spiral Kishik and Walnut Borek (Video)

Crispy Spiral Kishik and Walnut Borek (Video)

Borek or Burek a savory flaky pastry associated with Turkey and Balkan countries: Serbia, Bosnia, Armenia, Macedonia and North Africa etc… I had 8 different verions during my last visit to Istanbul, they come with various ingredients such as eggplant, spinach & cheese, minced meat., etc..Literally, there is a burek family in Turkey that differs in terms of shape and filling , they are indispensable, and are completely integrated into the lives of Turks; they can be found in every pastry shop across the country and are served for breakfast, lunch and dinner. The pastry is made with layers of “yufka bread”, similar to phyllo dough with a softer and thicker texture. I broadened the idea and experimented with kishik and walnuts, and the taste exceeded my expectations, beyond delicious!This is my take,

What is Kishik?

A powdery cereal that consists of bulgur and yogurt. The mix is first fermented then dried and eventually turned into a powder; usually cooked in Lebanon as a porridge, sometimes minced meat is included, or as a top for m’anouche / manakeesh. It has an agreeable sharp sour undertone, salty, nutritious and deeply flavorful. A centuries-old art of preservation in Lebanese cuisine, made back then as a matter of survival. Making the cereal at home is a long process; it is readily available at Lebanese markets and online, but beware not all brands are equally reliable; Baalbak in Lebanon if famed for best kishik, if you can put your hands on homemade kishik coming from that part of the country, then you would really taste the real deal!

About the filling

Kishik naturally packs a ton of umami goodness and the borek gets another flavor boost from the chopped onion, tomato paste and cayenne; walnuts not only add an agreeable nutty flavor, but together with kishik they create a complex lingering taste. This recipe is a testament to how perfectly kishik and walnuts pair together, a match made in heaven! To make the filling: In a bowl combine together kishik, tomato paste, diced onion, oil, cayenne and salt; stir well to homogenize. The consistency should be moderate thick, but still a spreadable paste. If it is too loose, add just a bit of kishik and stir, if on the contrary the consistency is too thick, drizzle a tablespoon of oil and stir. The filling should be glossy and homogenized with no pool of oil on the surface.

About the dough

There is a labor of love in this pastry making, yes we are making the dough from scratch, less traditional, since in Turkey  ready yufka is used to make borek, but certainly our dough here is appropriate and yields a very delicate and flaky pastry; it may look like a complicated mission, but I tell you it is quite simple. It is not like the ultra-thin commercial phyllo dough, but the end result is so crispy and flaky. I had many trials before a satisfactory result was reached. To make the dough: Mix together the flour, sugar, salt, cornstarch, vinegar and oil, (adding vinegar and corstarch give your  dough that extra flakiness and help increase the flexibility of gluten so the dough stretches more easily).  Gradually, add water and continue kneading until you have a dough of one texture. Keep on kneading for about 5 minutes until you have a smooth dough that holds a ball shape. Cover with clingfilm and set aside for 30 minutes.

To assemble:

Divide the dough into 2 equal balls. Flour the countertop and the rolling pin with both cornstarch and all- purpose flour. Roll one dough at a time as thin as possible, to a large circle, making sure to sprinkle with flour every now and then until you have a very thin dough, don’t worry about adding too much flour and cornstarch, the dough will use as much as needed when stretching. Keep on stretching, the thinner the better, watch the video tutorial! Roughly chop the walnuts with a sharp knife. Brush the circle dough with olive oil, scatter half of the kishing filling evenly over the dough, leave a 1-inch border from the edge. Scatter half the chopped walnuts evenly on top of the filling. And know the fun part starts! Poke a hole in the center of the circle and start rolling it outwards until you reach the edges and seal.  Watch the video tutorial. Cut the in half to make a long log. Roll the log on a parchment papaer into a quite loose coil. Watch the video tutorial! Use parchment paper to transfer up the Borek to a lightly greased oven sheet. Then slide the paper out from underneath. Sprinkle half the nigella and sesame seeds on top of the spiral dough. Repeat with second dough! In a small bowl, mix together the yogurt and oil and brush the surface of the spiral and qprinkle the nigella and sesame seeds  on top of the two spirals. Bake one spiral pastry at a time in a preheated oven to 200 °C/ 400°F, for 30 minutes or until gorgeously browned. Serve warm with a cup of tea!

The spiral is absolutely delicious and pretty as a picture, be rewarded with a showstopper suitable for your most deserving guests. Serve it as a breakfast, starter, or snack! The spiral borek is best the day it is baked, serve it warm out of the oven or at room temperature and enjoy the crispiness and flakiness in every bite! Watch the video tutorial above, to learn the artistic technique of shaping the coil!

• Author:Hadia Zebib Khanafer, 
• Recipe: Crispy Spiral Kishik and Walnut Borek
• Prep Time: 50 minutes
• Baking time: 25-30 minutes
• Serving 4- 5 persons

Ingredients

For the dough:

• 500 g / 1 lb 2 oz. all-purpose flour
• 1 heaped tablespoon cornstarch
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon granulated sugar
• ¼ cup sunflower oil
• 1 teaspoon white vinegar
• 1 ¼ cups water

• More cornstarch and all-purpose flour to sprinkle while rolling the dough
• ¼ cup ghee, to brush the dough after stretching

For the filling:

• 6 heaped tablespoons of kishik
• 14 tablespoons of canola oil
• 4 tablespoons olive oil, to brush the surface of the dough
• 1 small onion, finely chopped
• 1 leveled teaspoon tomato paste
• 1 teaspoon cayenne or  a bit less, optional but highly recommended
• 2 cups walnuts
• 1/2 teaspoon salt, or to taste preference

For the egg wash:

• ¼ cup oil
• ¼ cup plain yogurt

Before baking

• 2 tablespoons of nigella seeds
• 2 tablespoons of  sesame seeds

Directions:

1. To make the filling: In a bowl combine together kishik, tomato paste, diced onion, oil, cayenne and salt; stir well to homogenize. The consistency should be moderate thick, but still a spreadable paste. If it is too loose,  add just a bit of kishik and stir, if on the contrary the consistency is too thick, drizzle a tablespoon of oil and stir. The filling should be glossy and homogenized with no pool of oil on the surface.
2. To make the dough: Mix together the flour, sugar, salt, cornstarch, vinegar and oil, (adding vinegar and corstarch give your  dough that extra flakiness and help increase the flexibility of gluten so the dough stretches more easily).  Gradually, add water and continue kneading until you have a dough of one texture. Keep on kneading for about 5 minutes until you have a smooth dough that holds a ball shape. Cover with clingfilm and set aside for 30 minutes.

To assemble:

1. Roughly chop the walnuts with a sharp knife.
2. Divide the dough into 2 equal balls. Flour the countertop and the rolling pin with both cornstarch and all- purpose flour. Roll one dough at a time as thin as possible, to a large circle, making sure to sprinkle with flour every now and then until you have a very thin dough, don’t worry about adding too much flour and cornstarch, the dough will use as much as needed when stretching. Keep on stretching, the thinner the better, watch the video tutorial!
3. Brush the circle dough with olive oil, scatter half of the kishing filling evenly over the dough, leave a 1-inch border from the edge.
4. Scatter half the chopped walnuts evenly on top of the filling.
5. And know the fun part starts! Poke a hole in the center of the circle and start rolling it outwards until you reach the edges and seal. By now you have a round dough! Watch the video tutorial. Cut the in half to make a long log. Roll the log on a parchment paper into a quite loose coil. Watch the video tutorial! Use parchment paper to transfer up the Borek to the oven sheet. Then slide the paper out from underneath.
6. Repeat with second dough!
7. In a small bowl, mix together the yogurt and oil and brush the surface of the spiral and qprinkle the nigella and sesame seeds  on top of the two spirals
8. Bake one spiral pastry at a time in a preheated oven to 200 °C/ 400°F, for 30 minutes or until gorgeously browned. Serve warm with a cup of tea! Happy Eating!

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